HEART AND BLOOD. 83 



those, again, which are in the columnse extend lengthwise, and 

 are oblique longitudinally; and so it comes to pass, that when all 

 the fibres contract simultaneously, the apex of the cone is pulled 

 towards its base by the columnse, the walls are drawn circularly 

 together into a globe, the whole heart in short is contracted, 

 and the ventricles narrowed ; it is therefore impossible not to 

 perceive that, as the action of the organ is so plainly contrac- 

 tion, its function is to propel the blood into the arteries. 



Nor are we the less to agree with Aristotle in regard to the 

 sovereignty of the heart ; nor are we to inquire whether it re- 

 ceives sense and motion from the brain ? whether blood from 

 the liver? whether it be the origin of the veins and of the 

 blood? and more of the same description. They who affirm these 

 propositions against Aristotle, overlook, or do not rightly under- 

 stand the principal argument, to the effect that the heart is the 

 first part which exists, and that it contains within itself blood, life, 

 sensation, motion, before either the brain or the liver were in 

 being, or had appeared distinctly, or, at all events, before they 

 could perform any function. The heart, ready furnished with 

 its proper organs of motion, like a kind of internal creature, is 

 of a date anterior to the body : first formed, nature willed 

 that it should afterwards fashion, nourish, preserve, complete 

 the entire animal, as its work and dwelling place : the heart, 

 like the prince in a kingdom, in whose hands lie the chief and 

 highest authority, rules over all ; it is the original and founda- 

 tion from which all power is derived, on which all power de- 

 pends in the animal body. 



And many things having reference to the arteries farther 

 illustrate and confirm this truth. Why does not the arteria 

 venosa pulsate, seeing that it is numbered among the arteries? 

 Or wherefore is there a pulse in the vena arteriosa ? Because 

 the pulse of the arteries is derived from the impulse of the 

 blood. Why does an artery differ so much from a vein in the 

 thickness and strength of its coats ? Because it sustains the 

 shock of the impelling heart and streaming blood. Hence, as 

 perfect nature does nothing in vain, and suffices under all cir- 

 cumstances, we find that the nearer the arteries are to the heart, 

 the more do they differ from the veins in structure ; here they 

 are both stronger and more ligamentous, whilst in extreme parts 

 of the body, such as the feet and hands, the brain, the mesentery, 



